Stessco 460 Breezaway with Mercury 75hp

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by Gary Brown •

Over the years I have had many different types and shapes of boats and they have all (but one) been boats that I can mainly fish from with the option to do a small amount of towing if need be, and only one has had a canopy for protection from the elements.

The Stessco 460 Breezaway powered by the Mercury 75hp 4-stroke ELPT outboard is one that will enable you to do all of the above and much more. With its plumbed livewell and kill tank you will be able to keep your live bait alive and kicking for those kingfish, mulloway and dusky flathead you are targeting. You will also be able to keep your catch alive if you are into catch and release, or if you get a feed of fish for the family or friends you will still be able to keep your catch in top condition for the table.

A suggestion would be to install a separate aerator on a timer so that you can keep the fish a bit more on the perky side. This isn’t a must, as you could also install a timer on the livewell switch so that it will refill the kill tank every ten minutes or so.

This package comes with a gunwale mounted bimini that will keep you, your family and your friends out of the elements whether you are fishing or just out on the water for a bit of sight-seeing. The bimini can also be folded down to give you more room if you prefer to stand when driving or drifting. Having the bimini folded down will also allow you to have less wind resistance when towing either a skier or someone on a float tube behind.

The Stessco 460 Breezaway boat also has a 60L underfloor fuel tank, lockable glovebox, boarding ladder leading to a transom door, two comfortable T6 Commodore pedestal seats, a generous padded seat box with storage at the rear, which also includes a padded seat back, two side pockets for that extra storage, a bilge pump, two bollards, non-feedback steering, two transducer brackets, navigation lights, a switch panel with a 12v socket, underfloor drained storage and a walk through three-piece windscreen complete with grab rails. For added comfort under-foot the floor has been carpeted and the battery shelf has easy access.

The Stessco 460 Breezaway powered by the Mercury 75hp 4-stroke ELPT outboard with its rear bait board, bimini top and colour paint upgrade looks good and is a soft ride.
The Dunbier trailer comes complete with centre rollers, skids, tie down locations and submersible lights. The transducer has been mounted before delivery and the intake hole for the livewell and kill tank has had a gauzed cover installed to stop large objects going into the hole.
The test boat coming off the trailer, ready for a day on the water.
At the helm you have plenty of legroom and extra dashboard space to install any other instruments that you may require. To the left of the steering wheel there is a five-switch electrical panel including a 24v socket.
For ease of access up front to the anchor well you have a full wrap-around windscreen with handy grab rails. The bow sprit stainless steel lock-in roller and bollard makes it easy to deploy and retrieve your anchor when needed.
Up front there are two T6 Commodore type swivel seats to make your comfort ride even more comfortable. Directly situated between the seat on the carpeted floor is your underfloor storage tank that can be plumbed and used as a kill tank for your latest catch.
At the rear of the boat the rig tested on the day had a self-draining bait board with two rod holders. On the left your will find a livewell and on the right-hand side there is an access door for getting in and out of the boat.
On both sides of the boat there is more open storage for things like tackle boxes, life jackets, and spare tow ropes for skiing or float tubing.
On the passenger’s side you have a lockable glove box, a couple of drink holders and a sunken tray for a bit more storage away from the oncoming salt spray.
The braked Dunbier Sports 4.7m trailer with 13” wheels looked very shiny straight off the truck. While at Penrith Marine you should talk to the staff about how to look after your trailer.
To make it easier to get in and out of the boat either on dry land or in the water you have a fold down aluminium ladder and lockable door. The pod also comes with non-slip material strips.
The rig tested on the day had the upgraded Mercury 75hp ELPT outboard - the lightest model available at 163kg, it also has a three-star emissions rating. The motor has been fitted with a 3-bladed stainless-steel Mercury Spitfire X7 13x17P PH prop.

The Mercury 75hp 4-stroke ELPT outboard will get you up and going whether you are just going to your favourite fishing or picnic spot, or if you are towing a skier or taking the kids out on a float tube. This 8-valve single overhead cam 4-cylinder will push the Stessco 460 Breezaway at somewhere between 4500-5500rpm. This will depend on how many people you have on board or whether you are towing someone or not. It comes complete with an engine protection operator warning system in case anything goes amiss. Use unleaded 91 fuel as a minimum and Mercury 4-stroke 10W-30 oil.

When out on the water the digital technology of the Smart Start Electric key starting made starting the motor so easy, while the mechanical throttle and shift and dual cable mechanical hydraulic power steering made driving the Stessco 460 Breezaway a breeze.

The Mercury 75hp 4-stroke ELPT outboard has a shaft length of 508mm and a gear case ratio of 2.07:1. Its lightest model available weighs 163kg and has a three-star emissions rating. The standard power trim and tilt system has a shallow water trim range between -6 and 16° and a maximum tilt range of -6° to 64°.

The standard white 460 Stessco Breezeaway comes on a braked Dunbier trailer Sports 4.7m with 13” wheels, a Mercury 60hp 4-stroke ELPT with three gauges, an inland water safety kit, trailer and boat rego, battery and a bilge pump will set you back a total of $27,999. If you would like a few extras, the boat (as tested) will set you back a cool $34,899.

If you’re after something like the Stessco 460 Breezaway powered by the Mercury 75hp 4-stroke ELPT outboard, you need to get into Penrith Marine and talk to either Gaye or Stuart about taking one for a test drive. Call them on (02) 4731 6250 to make sure that they have one in stock, as they go out as quick as they come in.

Don’t forget to ask about the optional upsize to an 80hp motor.

SPECIFICATIONS
Length 5.04m
Top and bottom sides 3mm thick

FEATURES
• 60L underfloor fuel tank
• Lockable glovebox
• Boarding ladder leading to a transom door
• Two comfortable pedestal seats and a generous padded seat box with storage at the rear including padded seat back
• Two side pockets
• Bilge pump
• Two Bollards
• Non-feedback steering
• Two transducer brackets
• Navigation lights
• Switch panel with 12v socket
• Drained storage under floor
• Dunbier braked trailer
• Mercury 60hp 4-stroke ELPT EFI with three gauges

Optional Extras
• Bait board with two rod holders – factory built
• Side colour panels
• Upgraded seats
• Bimini
• Fusion stereo active
• Plumbed livewell
• Vessel View
• 502 sounder with transducer
• Mercury 75hp ELPT with three gauges

*The build time on these hulls is approx. 4-5 weeks.